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15 BEST SOUVENIRS TO BRING HOME FROM AROUND THE WORLD

16th January 2018

Backpackers always want to bring home souvenirs that will remind them of their trip – but many often get stuck buying cheap souvenirs from tourist traps. A souvenir can be a lot of things. It can remind you of an incredible trip, it can reconnect you with a beloved place, and it can also be a huge waste of space and weight in a pack if you’ve misjudged.

To avoid getting something you’ll only throw away in a few months, we’re bringing you the best souvenirs to buy from around the world! Happy Backpacking!

"Keep some souvenirs of your travels,
else how do you know it wasn’t all just a dream.”

1. Matcha, Japan:

Japan is one of the largest consumers of green tea in the world, something that becomes quickly apparent when you’re in the country. Whether bought from a vending machine or prepared through an elaborate tea ceremony, matcha is everywhere.The tea comes in many varieties but quality is always guaranteed. Pick some up at a specialty tea shop, supermarket or even at the airport and get your loved ones hooked.

Matcha (Green Tea)

2. Lace and Tapestry, Belgium:

Belgian lace is all handmade, and often involves using over 100 threads per bobbin. The cities of Brussels and Bruges are both known for their intricate lacework.

Types of Lace Pattern

3. Anything related to Tea, China:

A painted tea pot or tea cup would be a beautiful memento, but you could also bring back a tin of authentic Chinese tea to continue to enjoy at home. Opt for green tea, black tea, brick tea, scented tea or oolong tea.

Tea Pot Set

4. Beer Stein, Germany:

Especially during the German Oktoberfest! A beer stein is a traditional beer mug made out of stoneware, or specifically ornamental beer mugs. There are plenty of local stores in cities around Germany that sell authentic handmade beer steins.

Deutschland Germany Beer Stein

5. Olive Oil, Greece:

Greece is famous for its virgin olive oil production and it is used in almost all of Greek recipes. If you don’t want to bring back traditional cooking olive oil, you can also pick up some soaps or cosmetics that are made with olive oil.

Types of Olive Oil

6. Paprika, Hungary:

It is the perfect gift to bring back from Hungary because it is all over the country and the spice is incredibly cheap. Hungarian paprika is unique and it is said to be sweeter than paprika grown in other soils and climates. A great place to find authentic local paprika is Budapest’s Great Market Hall.

Central Market – Paprika Store

7. Whiskey, Ireland:

A quality bottle of whiskey is a classic souvenir to bring home from Ireland. The perfect place to pick up the Irish whiskey is the Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland, where you can actually see and smell the whiskey being made.

Irish Whiskey

8. Traditional Venetian mask, Italy:

The masks are used in the annual Carnival and are often intricate and beautiful. Venetian masks can be made of leather, porcelain, or glass. Pick up the mask from Ca’Macana, one of the oldest mask making workshops in Venice. The store is known for its authentic handmade masks that are made in the same way Venetian artisans would do 800 years ago.

Venice Carnival

9. Ceramic bowl, Morocco:

A colourful hand-painted ceramic bowl is a beautiful and unique gift to bring home from Morocco. Decorative pieces are often hand-painted with intricate floral and geometric designs. The cities that are the main centres for ceramics are Safi and Fez.

Ceramic Plates and Bowls

10. Cheese, Netherlands:

For any foodie, cheese is the perfect gift to bring back home. There are plenty of different varieties available, and stores will usually have the cheese sealed airtight for free. In the Reypenaer cheese tasting room, you can test all different types of quality cheese before purchasing something to bring home.

Cheese, Cheese, and More Cheese

11. Amber, Poland:

Amber is the native gemstone of Poland and there are hundreds of shops selling quality jewellery around the country. Polish jewelers have more than 80 names to describe types of amber, from flame and honey to clouded and woolly. It is also believed that amber jewellery can bring good luck.

Amber Pendant

12. Tiles (Azulejos), Portugal:

Portuguese tiles, known as azulejos, have had a huge influence on the culture. Azulejos tiles are everywhere in Portugal— they are on the walls of churches, homes, benches, fountains, bars, restaurants, and subways stations. Buying a tile item in one of the many souvenir shops around the country would be a perfect way to bring back a little bit of Portugal.

Typical Portuguese Tiles

13. Lacquer boxes, Russia:

Lacquer boxes can be found all around Russia, and are a great souvenir to take back home. The beautiful hand painted boxes are made of several layers of papier-mâché pressed together and oven-dried. The images on the boxes are usually scenes from Russian fairy tales and legends. The top producers of lacquer art are the towns of Palekh, Fedoskino, and Mstera.

Lacquer Boxes

14. Amarula, South Africa:

It is a cream liqueur made from the exotic Marula fruit, and is a great gift to bring back home for friends. The marula fruit is indigenous to the woodlands of Southern Africa — and the liquor is supposed to taste of slightly fruity caramel.

Amarula Cream Liquor

15. Copper coffee set, Turkey:

Turkey is famous for its production of copper and its unique way of brewing coffee. A perfect souvenir for someone who wants to try to brew their own Turkish coffee is an authentic copper coffee set. You can find plenty of different types of coffee sets at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.